


Counting the Distance, Counting the Days

by SHSLshortie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cuddling, Established Relationship, I might rewrite the cuddling scene later, Insomnia, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, college volleyball, lots of feels, this is way longer than I meant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-18 02:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15475488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSLshortie/pseuds/SHSLshortie
Summary: Akaashi fell in love with Bokuto the first time they met. Even two years later, and every little thing Bokuto Koutarou does still makes Akaashi Keiji’s heart flutter. Loving each other was so easy, so how could long distance ever be a problem?+++College-aged, fast-forward one-shot where Akaashi and Bokuto have been dating for a year and finally get to move in together for college. Even through their struggles, they still manage to find a silver-haired lining to every situation.





	Counting the Distance, Counting the Days

**Author's Note:**

> Lol this was SUPPOSED to be a quick and easy, short and fluffy one shot about Akaashi watching Bo while he slept. EXCEPT I just HAD to give them a while back story and BAM — we got a Going Off To University AU. 
> 
> There are some notes at the end about specifics and references in this fic, so make sure to check them out if you want more info about this fic! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

Life with Bokuto has always been strange. It has been fun, but it has been strange — but Akaashi wouldn't have it any other way.

Akaashi still remembers the first time he laid eyes on the screeching, strigine spiker. Until then, Akaashi had almost given up volleyball, but it was Bokuto's gravity that pulled him back onto the court time and time again. It was Bokuto who made him want to improve; to toss more accurately, to read a spike even a millisecond faster, to make split second decisions that were the difference between winning a match and losing. 

But it was also Bokuto who made Akaashi grow and mature on a whole new level. When someone you love and care for is _hurting_ and struggling, it hurts  _you_. Learning to deal with Bokuto's moods and feelings of inadequacy taught Akaashi how to deal with his own — and helped him learn that it was okay to not be okay. Especially when you had a team behind you and a partner to hit back whatever you toss at them. It was Bokuto that taught Akaashi how to love, and be loved. 

After more than a year of pining, both of them finally confessed after they were eliminated by Itatchiyama in the semifinals of the Interhigh. Akaashi was surprisingly the one to make the first move, but only after realizing his time with going by way too fast, and he couldn’t lose him forever without telling him how he felt. He approached a dejected Bokuto in the locker room, long after everyone else had left — and for once, the great horned owl was speechless. His only response was a frantic first kiss that left the pair scrambling for more, and whispering “Me too”s against each other’s lips. 

The pair didn't start officially dating until the January before Bokuto graduated. Even though their teammates had always suspected something was going on between the two of them (even before they realized it themselves) they didn’t want to be distracted for the rest of the season. When the Spring Tournament ended with the same feeling of defeat, they finally had each other to turn to, but now not as friends and teammates, but as _boyfriends_.

 _Boyfriends_  sounded so foreign to their ears, but it was finally a label on their relationship that sounded complete in a way that friends or teammates or setter and spiker never did. Together, they had to decide their individual paths for their immediate future, as well as what would become of them as they went down their separate paths. 

-+-

After the Spring Tournament, Akaashi was named captain of the Fukurodani team. No one was surprised, since he had basically been running the team whenever Bokuto went into a mood, and because he was the only returning third-year with any real experience. As a Top-3 ranked Ace, Bokuto had received numerous scholarship offers from all over the country to play volleyball in university, and had even been invited to volleyball combines in America and Europe. However, he never had any intention of leaving Tokyo. All the former captain wanted was to go to school for free, play volleyball, and be close to his family and friends back at home (specifically: Akaashi). Hopefully, figuring out what he wanted to study would happen along the way, but as long as he got his coaching certificate, Bokuto was happy. 

However when the decision came, the only factor that had any real weight on his decision was Akaashi. Even though Bokuto had no idea what he wanted to do besides play volleyball, he knew exactly what Akaashi wanted to do in college. He had always talked about how he either wanted to make people’s lives better as a nurse, or be around books for the rest of his life as a librarian. His third choice though, was doing something with computers because Akaashi knew that he was good at it, and it would give him the opportunity to work from home and have more freedom than either of the other two professions. But no matter which major he chose, Akaashi always stated that he would just be happy with a few large libraries and a large campus. With that information combined with the issue of distance, Bokuto easily cut out about 7 scholarship offers so he could focus on deciding between 4: Chu-dai, Jundai, Tokai or Keio.

-+-

Chuo University had been recruiting Bokuto _hard_. The offer was really tempting, because it made Bokuto seem wanted. Their volleyball team was the best in all of Japan — and they had been for the last 3 years. Even their colors spoke to Bokuto, because he knew he would look good in their black and white uniform with a red stripe. However when Bokuto accepted their request for him to tour and join in on a practice... something felt off. Maybe the gym was too big. Maybe the locker rooms and the sidelines were too crowded. Maybe their aces and their regulars were too _strong_. Bokuto knew what it felt like to go to a powerhouse school in Tokyo, he even knew what it was like to be the captain and ace of said team, and he knew what it was like to compete in front of huge crowds at the Inter-high. But watching this team from the sidelines almost gave Bo the creeps, and he couldnt put his finger on why. When he stepped on the court to try a few spikes with their setter, it almost felt like he was working with a robot and being micro-analyzed. The whole thing left Bokuto in a strange mood that he couldn't describe as "emo", but definitely wasnt  _normal_ and left him on edge the entire train ride back home. 

Left alone with his thoughts, a cacophony of inner turmoil churned in Bokuto's brain. Doubts and worries about whether or not he could even make it on as a regular, despite his scholarship, brewed. The tingling uncomfortable feeling still lingered on his spine, and didn't budge until he saw Akaashi again. Bokuto recounted his trip and tour to Akaashi, and even as the words came out of his mouth, he felt guilty for feeling so apprehensive about such an amazing opportunity.

All it took was a few words from Akaashi to quell his worries. "Bokuto-san, can you see yourself on the court, with Chu-dai as your team?"

Golden eyes widened in shock and thought, before they closed as Bokuto slightly shook his head in declination. Because realistically, Bokuto couldn't, and the decision was as simple as that.

-+-

The next school Bo looked at was Juntendo University. Just researching the school made Bokuto excited because they had an amazing School of Health and Sports Science  _and_ a super good Nursing School; and even though they had been National Champions in 2010, Bokuto wasn't nearly as intimidated by them. However, Akaashi burst his bubble when he ran to share the good news.

"Bokuto-san... you do know that the Jundai School of Medicine is in Tokyo, and the School of Health and Sports Science is in Chiba... right?"

Within seconds, Bokuto's entire body deflated, somehow even his hair lost some of it's volume when he heard the news. This then triggered a few days worth of emo-Bokuto. Which could only be cured by a proper Akaashi movie night cuddle session which involved rewatching hours of Olympic footage, and of course:  _Air Bud Spikes Back (2003)._

"Why is university so haaaaaaard?!!"

-+-

A similar situation to Chu-dai happened with Tokai. Their team won the championship in 2006 and 2009, and had always reached the final 4 in recent years, but they weren't as suffocating or robotic as Chuo. Tokai had a good School of Physical Education, it had Nursing, and it even had a School of Information Sciences where Akaashi could do Computer Science and Library stuff. It was perfect on paper, and not too far away... so why did Bokuto feel so apprehensive about it?

On his tour, he could theoretically  _see_ himself walking on campus, and fitting in there. On the court, it didn't feel wrong — and he honestly was glad that volleyball still felt normal after his Chuo experience. So he didn't understand why he didn't want to go. 

Until it hit him. Literally. A volleyball hit him in the face, and knocked him out of his trance; it was then that he realized that he had actually  _spaced out_ during a volleyball match. Bokuto figured it out: Tokai didn't excite him, and he didn't feel the  _drive_ that he wanted and needed from volleyball. That was what was wrong, and why he knew he couldn't go to Tokai, no matter how "perfect" it was.

-+-

While Bokuto knew that he technically still had at least 10 more options to find  _a_ school, Keio University was his last chance to find  _the_ school. 

All of the research and work that he had to put into looking at universities was remarkably draining, but the first time Bokuto actually felt excited about it all was when he started looking at the  _Keidai Unicorns._ His eyes even lit up when he saw their navy and white uniforms that had some really cool gold and red stripes across it the shirt and shorts, and had "KEIO" emblazoned across the chest. Bokuto didn't know you could get butterflies from seeing a uniform or a few awesome looking buildings... and he honestly felt kind of ashamed that he was that shallow (or at least that he was so easily excitable)... But he could _see_ himself in that uniform. The same could be said from the pictures of campus, where he could easily imagine him and Akaashi walking hand in hand to class, especially with how many different options they would both have for studying.

Even on the short train ride down to Minato, Koutarou could feel his heart playing an intense rally in his chest. This was the first time he actually felt a nervous excitement to visit a campus — because he actually  _wanted_ to like it, and he wanted Keio to be everything he that wanted in a school. Immediately, the fanciful architecture of the research buildings and libraries stood out among the normal array of Tokyo skyscrapers. Even compared to religious shrines and other more traditional scenery, Bo had never seen anything like what was looming over him. This is what about thought a university should look like, if movies were any indication. All of this put the beginnings of a grin on his face. 

On his tour, Bokuto barely paid any attention to what his guide was saying, or the tidbits and facts about how Keio was the oldest university in Japan, or something like that. Instead, his silvery head was constantly bobbing back and forth each time his eyes caught sight of something new and exciting. He couldn't explain the feeling that was welling in his chest, but it was similar to the thumping and roaring that ran through his veins the morning before a match. 

The tour ended as the guide was asked to take Bokuto to the gymnasium so he could meet with the team. Bokuto vaguely heard a quip about how "all of Keio gets really pumped up about sports", but surprisingly, he already knew that. Whether it was baseball, football, volleyball or one of the other 36 varsity sports Keio had, the whole school would turn out. If it was a big enough game or a rivalry match, sometimes even classes would be cancelled. For Bokuto, that was the kind of culture he was looking for — one where his team would have fans and a following, but not so much where it felt like he was a professional volleyball player. Bokuto wanted to win because his team and his school had the tenacity and willpower to win — the opposite of Chu-Dai, where they were expected to win. The thought of having a school that even through their top academic performances, could still turn out a giant cheering section made Bokuto shudder in anticipation. 

When they reached the gym, and Bokuto saw the team practicing drills together under the guidance of the captains, how the coaches and the managers working to set up a scrimmage, and how many people were watching from the stands like it was an in-between-class activity... Bokuto knew. He didn't have to hit a single spike or meet the players, because it felt  _right._ Keio didn't need to have 10 national championships, and they didn't even need their constant near-successes over the past 7 years of making it to the final 8. To Bokuto, it felt like Fukurodani on steroids. The competitive air and the warm blanket of pressure that was held up by a hardworking family of people who loved volleyball and who loved a challenge. This was it. 

Bokuto's suspicions were confirmed when he was introduced to the team, and who didn't even seem to be offended by his lack of filter and volume control. The setters were shockingly fast at syncing with his style (and even though it wasn't as natural as spiking off of Akaashi...) it felt good to hit their spikes — and it felt good to see the Keidai logo on their practice clothes. Even the unicorn displayed on the back of their practice shirts printed on top of the Keidai crest further cemented the comfortable feeling that began to settle in Bokuto's stomach. (Also, what he wouldn't have given to have giant owls on all of his Fukurodani gear.)

On the train ride back home, Bokuto could not even wait another half hour until he was back with Akaashi to tell him the news, so he furiously dialed his number. It only took a few rings for Keiji to pick up, but Bo didn't even wait to hear his voice to yell into the receiver.

"Akaashi!!!! I’m gonna be a unicorn!!" And of course, Bokuto didn't even notice or care about the strange looks his fellow passengers were giving him.

-+-

Akaashi was overjoyed for Bokuto — how could he not be? His boyfriend had received an athletic scholarship to one of the Top-2 universities in Japan, where could attend tuition-free, and could study whatever he wanted. Seeing and hearing how excited the over-sized owl was for university, for playing more volleyball, for getting to know a whole new team and for living in the middle of Tokyo painted a gentle, love-filled smile across the brunet's face. 

Until Bokuto's graduation, the only worry that either of them had was making sure Fukurodani was ready for the upcoming season, and trying to keep their repressed need to kiss and hold hands in public under wraps. The relationship that Akaashi had dreamed of having with Bokuto lasted a perfect 3 months.

For almost every single day from January to April, the two doted on each other like love-struck little owlets leaving the nest for the first time. There was hardly a day when they left the house without holding hands, and even scarcer a day when Akaashi didn't get to stare into the endless pools of gold that took up so much of Bokuto's face, which were always tinted a shade darker before their lips met. Akaashi found that Bokuto's loud screeches of excitement and endless energy were not only a volleyball-induced occurrence. Apparently, it was simply a symptom of love. He didn't know whether or not he hadn't noticed the same type of reactions before, or if Bokuto had been restraining himself until then, but Keiji still found it incredibly endearing. Albeit draining and deafening at times.

As April drew closer, so did Bokuto's moving date. The couple didn't think anything of it in the beginning, because they would only be a short train ride away, so it didn't _really_ count as long distance, right?

Wrong. 

After Bokuto loaded up the family car for the drive into the city on the first day of April, Akaashi immediately felt his heart wrench as he saw the man he loved drive away. Yes, it was only a half hour (ish) train ride to his campus, but for the first time since his first year when he stepped inside the Fukurodani gymnasium... Akaashi actually realized that he would have to live without Bokuto constantly bringing light into his life. 

As if trying to adjust to a prominent leadership role as well as being a third year in high school wasn't tough enough already, but having to completely rebuild his team without his support system and lifeline was almost torturous. Akaashi was the only returning regular third year, and Onaga was the only returning second year. The rest of the team had to be made out of fresh-faced first years and upperclassmen who had never seen competitive play. All in all, it was a nightmare of a situation for a powerhouse team that had reached the Interhigh, Nationals and Spring High tournament for the last three years: and Akaashi didn't want that to end with him.

But balancing volleyball with studying for entrance exams was brutal. Akaashi had always been a good student, and he wouldn't be trying to go to nursing school if he wasn't, but that still didn't mean it came easy to him. Only now, he had no real way to decompress and destress at the end of the day. He hated to admit it, but Keiji felt lost without seeing Bokuto's sparkling smile during practice, and following those beacon-like golden eyes home every night. 

The problem stemmed from the pair's naive optimism. Yes, it was true that Keio was only a short train ride away, but the two hadn't factored in how busy their combined schedules would be. Bokuto had classes — and practices — which lasted for almost the entirety of every weekend since it was the only time that every team member was free. Akaashi had overwhelming amounts of homework, hours of practice every day after school, prep work when he got home every night, and his weekends were filled with even more practice matches in preparation for the Interhigh qualifiers that would begin in less than a month. He had less than a month to get a ragtag group of wily freshmen and rusty returnees up to par with the Fukurodani name. It was only a month, yet it simultaneously felt like an ironman marathon and like time was rushing by too quickly.

April came and went, and with it, so did their chances at going back to the Inter High. Fukurodani put up a valiant fight, but ended up floundering like newly-hatched owlets who hadn't even learned to fly yet, and Nohebi easily swallowed them whole in the semifinals. 

The foreign taste of defeat burned the back of Akaashi's throat, because it was like nothing he had felt before on the volleyball court. They had lost matches before -- and plenty of them — but this was different. This time, the weight of their loss was balancing entirely on Akaashi's shoulders.

Before the raven-haired teen even realized what he was doing, Akaashi found himself on the bullet train to downtown Tokyo. He honestly did not consciously make the decison to visit Bokuto at university, and it wasn't until he heard the announcement for the Mita Station where his stop would be, that everything came flooding back. It was as if his body knew that the only semblance of comfort it could find was in the broad, muscular arms of one particularly owl-like wing spiker. 

Akaashi pulled out his phone as he departed from the train, to see that it was still only about 5pm, and that Bokuto would still be practicing in the gymnasium. The brunet sighed, and put his phone in his pocket; it wasn't worth texting him to let him know that he would be there, because even if he  _did_ see it, Bokuto's meagre self-control would probably result with a large and sweaty owl running down the streets of Tokyo to find Akaashi. Not even thinking about the practice he would have just left.

Instead, Akaashi let his feet slowly take him towards the campus of his dream school, the route already ingrained in his memory, even after only two or three visits. It had barely even been a month since he had last seen his horned-haired boyfriend, but to Akaashi it had felt like an eternity. Facetime and instant messaging could only portray so much. The warmth of his hugs, the intense glimmer in his golden eyes, the rush of blood underneath his taut muscles, and the authentic emotions that were always plastered on his face for everyone to see... No phone screen could ever mimic what Bokuto made Akaashi feel.

Within minutes, Akaashi found himself standing infront of the Keidai gymnasium, and he could even hear the faint sound of volleyball shoes scuffing the polished surface of the court. He took a small breath in to steady himself, before ascending the stairs towards the second-story bleachers where Akaashi could regain his sanity while not interrupting his boyfriend's practice.

The energy in that gym was astounding, and Akaashi was surprised as to how many other students had come in to watch the practice from the stands — even on a Sunday evening. But even through the cacophony of squeaks and thuds and screams and directions bouncing off every wall, Akaashi could easily hear the clear baritone of Bokuto Koutarou's voice, and could easily spot the white tufts of hair that flashed across the court, even if he had been in the nosebleeds. Watching Bokuto was unlike any other volleyball for Akaashi. Even playing on the same court had a different sort of pressure, where seeing him from the stands was like watching a soloist under a brilliant spotlight among a symphony orchestra. None of the other players commanded the same presence, but they still somehow all fit together to create a harmonious rhythm. 

Somehow, even breathing the same air (albeit humid and full of sweat) managed to lift Akaashi's spirits, and clear his mind. Seeing the big picture laid out in front of him on the court helped work out the details of his own big picture in his head. Sure, Fukurodani hadn't earned a trip to the Interhigh -- but it wasn't even May yet. June brought a whole new set of challenges, but the team still had a shot at Nationals if they could earn a spot in the qualifiers. And if Akaashi kept on harping on their performance that weekend, the opportunity to learn and grow would pass them by and take any chances away from them. 

A sharp whistle brought Akaashi out of his musings, and he looked down to see the team convening to signal the end of practice. Akaashi was shocked at how much time had passed, but it had somehow already become dark and his phone read 8 o'clock. He took that as his cue to head down and outside to surprise his boyfriend.

Akaashi sneakily posted himself outside the main doorway, and positioned himself casually enough so as to not draw attention from anyone other than Bokuto. Even though the brunet had easily hid from others, somehow that owl-like vision had honed in on Akaashi like he was prey. The older volleyball player screeched and cried and wrapped his even larger-than-before arms around his boyfriend, before lifting Akaashi up into a powerful twirling hug. 

The surprise had been even more necessary than the two of them had realized. On the walk back to Bokuto's dorm, Akaashi recounted the results of that weekend's qualifiers, as well as the stats of his new kohai. Bokuto listened attentively with soft eyes, knowing the struggle that Akaashi was going through, even though his tenure as captain had not started off at such a low point. Akaashi then turned the conversation towards Bokuto and university, and the silver-haired man was uncharacteristically quiet. Apparently, the Unicorns had also struggled in their first few matches, but they were still vibing well as a team, like Akaashi had seen during practice. Academically however, Bokuto was overwhelmed; even though he was only taking general education classes, it was so much harder for Bokuto to concentrate when he didn't have volleyball to look forward to every day, and when he was stuck in the back of a lecture hall filled with 100 more people than he was used to. 

Even as close as the two were, they had still been embarrassed to admit their own shortcomings to each other. But hearing them out in the open, and seeing the love and support emanating off of their boyfriend somehow took at least 10 kg of pressure off of each shoulder. 

They spent the night burrowed under a blanket together, even though Bokuto's dorm barely had functioning air conditioning. It didn't matter though, because their combined warmth was somehow not suffocating, but was comforting. Although grateful for a state holiday that had cancelled school for the high schooler, Akaashi still had to leave early the next morning in order to be back in time to meet with his team for their first practice after qualifiers. Their time was way too short, and the tears were way too many, and the emotions were way too raw, but it somehow made them both feel renewed. 

The next morning at the train station, the pair shared an emotional sendoff before chastely kissing good bye as Akaashi stepped onto the platform. They couldn't promise when they would next see each other, but shared an understanding that this had been enough. Small gestures and surprises would help sustain their relationship until they could finally be together again.

-+-

Over the next few months, life was still hard for the pair, but not quite as unbearable as it had seemed before. Nightly skype sessions, and whispers of sweet nothings punctuated their days. Sleep-filled smiles and goofy snapchats brightened their mornings. And somehow, both teams came together better than they had before.

Fukurodani trained day after day, night after night, and practiced until their knees couldn't take it any more. But they still begged for  _"Mo Ippon!"_ even after their coach told them to stop. Somehow, the tenacity that Akaashi began to see in the eyes of his team matched the hunger he saw in the fledgling crows from Karasuno the previous year. Through training camps, and specialized practices tailored toward each player, the baby owls slowly but surely shed their down feathers and grew. 

In June, they managed to earn a spot for the Kantou Block of the Nationals Qualifiers, but that victory was short lived as summer approached. With the upcoming whirlwind of tournaments, Akaashi had to think long and hard about his future at Fukurodani. At the beginning of the year, he had sworn that he would devout his winter term to exam prep and applications, but now... he had a hunger for revenge, and Akaashi wanted to go to the Spring High no matter what. This however meant more than just training for Nationals. The Qualifiers for the Spring High were held in August, which meant his summer break would yet again be consumed by volleyball. 

Bokuto had to deal with a similar schedule, as the Intercollegiate Volleyball season revolved heavily around summer break for determining spots in the playoffs. The Unicorn's season wrote new records for Keio, and Bokuto's large chest swelled even more with pride in his team and school. Unlike in high school where their games were limited to tournaments, the collegiate season involved scheduled games and rankings which was new and exhilarating for Bokuto (albeit a tad confusing). His team was given a bye of two weeks in which they could take their vacation, but were encouraged to help out around Tokyo or their hometowns to promote volleyball and Keio. This was the perfect opportunity to visit Fukurodani.

Those two weeks reignited sparks for Bokuto and Akaashi. Finally, they could spend more than a few hours together, and finally they could  _play_ together again. Bokuto sat in on a few Fukurodani practices, and even helped with warm ups during one of the smaller training camps with the Fukurodani Academy Group that happened to fall on one of his off weekends. To his surprise, he was almost treated like a mini-celebrity by some of the freshmen who had watched Fukurodani on TV or at nationals while they were in middle school. This caused the stringine boy to fluff with pride, and if Akaashi hadn't been in charge, he probably would have basked in his glow. But instead, the playful and snide retorts that had colored the couple's time together on the court would have to do -- because Akaashi had an image as captain to uphold.

Summer break was over far too soon, and it was finally Akaashi's turn to relax for a short time. Just before Spring High Qualifiers, Fukurodani was given a weekend off in reward for all of their hard work; and it just so happened to line up with Keio's biggest match of the year. The So-Kei Sen. 

The So-Kei Sen is the annual rivalry game against Waseda, and Bokuto had been hyped for  _weeks_. Akaashi was just excited that he could experience it all as a spectator; rivalry was pretty unfamiliar to Akaashi, since Fukurodani's only real rivals were Shiratorizawa and the other members of the Fukurodani Academy Group. Even then, their teams were still very friendly off of the court. But the college rivalry was unlike anything else, and it had been ongoing for over 100 years. 

Even the energy on campus was completely different when Akaashi arrived. Apparently, it wasn't unheard of for statues on campus to be dressed in costumes from Waseda students, and Keio students would even ditch class to jeer at the opposing club when they arrived on campus. Nothing however, prepared Akaashi for the gymnasium. It was  _deafening_. The chanting, the screaming, the pouding of the drums, everything was piercing into his very soul and making his chest shake. Akaashi had only ever heard such noise during the final round of the interhigh, but it was still so different. There, people from all over the country came to see who was the best team in the nation. But here, everyone was cheering for one of two teams, and they were  _passionate_. 

Seeing Bokuto in the context of a real match was so jarring. His intensity, his eyes, his passion, his speed — it all combined and made Akaashi fall deeper in love with both Bokuto  _and_ volleyball. The match was intense, and each set went into at least 10 points of deuce before one team squeaked ahead. Shouts of frustration and glee shook the whole arena with each scored point. But it wasn't until he saw his own owl-like boyfriend fly towards the net to slam down one final spike over the net, that even Akaashi found himself screaming and cheering along with the full crowd.

When the game was done, the high school student practically ran down the metal steps of the bleachers to reach the court-side railing, where he leaned over the edge to yell out towards his boyfriend.

"Bokuto-san!"

Akaashi smiled down in wonder as Bokuto turned to face him with a kilowatt grin, and he waved to the brunet in the stands with a classic victory pump.

It was then and there that Akaashi knew he had to somehow join Bokuto at Keio.

-+-

University applications and entrance exams peppered all of Akaashi's worries, but they somehow got simultaneously better and worse when his convictions and dreams of going to Keio became more concrete. While Akaashi had dreamed of attending such a prestigious university, he was also a realist, and had originally set his sights on a few more attainable schools. Akaashi knew that he wasn't good enough to be offered a volleyball scholarship, and even if he  _was,_ there was no guarantee it would be to a school where he wanted to attend. Honestly though, Akaashi hadn't even entertained the idea of playing in college; not with a nursing degree. 

So instead, Akaashi had to work even harder for an academic scholarship. Any time he wasn't on the volleyball court, Akaashi was studying. Nightly skype sessions turned into nightly skype-study sessions, where Bokuto would mainly talk while Akaashi would focus on his exams. It worked for them, and honestly reminded Akaashi of when Bokuto was still a senior — because just like then, Akaashi was the only one concerned with school. 

Somehow, the stress and pressure carried Akaashi through all of his applications, his practice entrance exams, and all the way into August. Just knowing that the Interhigh was being played, and Fukurodani wasn't on that court, lit a fire for the team. As the end of August and two weekends of back-to-back tournaments approached, Akaashi and his team were ready.

The fledgling owlets took flight at the Spring High Qualifiers. Akaashi led his team back to their rightful place as a Tokyo representative for the Spring High. The following weekend, the top 8 Tokyo teams were narrowed down to 4 for the Nationals Qualifying bracket, and yet again Fukurodani held their throne. Akaashi hadn't felt this way about volleyball since he had played on the same side of the court as his boisterous boyfriend.

-+-

October came and went, and even though Fukurodani got to stand on the court at Nationals, the wind was taken out from under their wings too soon. After climbing so high since the Interhigh, it was so painstaking to fall from that height. Especially after being used to making it to the final 4 every year. But yet again, Akaashi could not dwell on his failures. He had a legacy to protect at Fukurodani, and even though Akaashi had promised himself that he would take a step back to focus on school instead of training for the Spring High... There was no way Keiji was stepping down early. The Spring High was his last chance 

Both Akaashi and Bokuto found themselves swamped with practices and tournaments, as the Intercollegiate Volleyball Championships were drawing near. Come Novemember, both boys found themselves fighting for their rightful place on the court to live and play another game. Hard fought victories earned both teams their qualifying spots in the Spring High Tournament and the next stage of the IVC.

With both the Spring High and the Center Test quickly approaching in January, December was an incredibly hard month for Akaashi. If he didn't have volleyball or Bokuto, Akaashi Keiji might have gone off the deep end. Even though the stress and physical exhaustion from training was intense, it was a much needed distraction from the thoughts about his own future.

-+-

Standing on the court at the Spring Tournament was a bittersweet feeling. Akaashi had built his team up from the ashes left by his senpai, and he fanned that new flame until it scorched a path to the final 8. But that was where they burned out, and Akaashi’s volleyball career came to an end.  

Compared to tension of a game, the Center Test was a walk in the park. All that mattered afterwards was receiving the invitations to take his secondary tests. Which Akaashi formulaicly received, one by one. And only one mattered.

Of course Akaashi still took each supplementary test he was offered, since there was still a very open possibility of not passing Keio’s exam. It was a very real possibility, but Akaashi refused to let it swim through his mind and eat up his valuabke sanity. Because no matter what: Akaashi Keiji was going to attend nursing school in Tokyo, and he was going to live with and start a life with Bokuto Koutarou.

-+-

It didn’t seem real when Akaashi had opened his acceptance email from Keio. He had received 5 other acceptances, and surprisingly, even two partial volleyball scholarship offers from two smaller schools. But once Akaashi had received that affirmation, there was not a doubt in his mind where he would be heading.

It didn’t seem real when Akaashi walked across the stage at Fukurodani Academy, leaving high school for the last time as a student.

It still didn’t seem real as the Akaashi family drove away from their home and into the city to move Akaashi into his new apartment. Even seeing and hearing the familiar mannerisms of one overly-energetic owl still did nothing to bring a Keiji back to reality.

No, it wasn’t until late one night, when most of Tokyo had already gone to sleep, and the last of the boxes were finally unloaded into the tiny apartment, that it hit Akaashi.

This was the start of the rest of his life with Bokuto Koutarou.

  
-+-

  
Slowly but surely, life at Keio eased into place. University was tough, but not any worse than he had expected or prepared himself for. Only now, he was rewarded each day by being able to come home and wrap himself in the (normally sweaty) arms of Koutarou every day after the two finished classes and practice. Sometimes when Akaashi was lucky, he could even sneak in on volleyball practice a few times a week. He even became acquainted with the rest of the Keio Unicorns, thanks to Bokuto. Who, unabashedly wanted to show off his boyfriend to every single member of his team, since apparently they had been privy to every story from the past year.

  
While Akaashi as not shy per say, he was by far more reserved than Bokuto. Especially when it came to matters of relationships and sexuality. However, the feeling of acceptance and pride that emanated off of Bokuto while interacting with his teammates or while holding his hand washed the younger man in contentment. It turns out that Bokuto hadn’t even really had to come out to his teammates — they just willingly accepted him. With that, they also had unwittingly accepted a barrage of emotions and stories that all involved his “gorgeous boyfriend” or how “smart his boyfriend was” or about how “his boyfriend had surprised him and came to watch practice”. All of this made Akaashi blush, but he was able to keep his composure and fire back just as many jabs at Bokuto’s expense to make the team laugh.

  
The whole team was a very cohesive unit, and they were all very friendly with each other — even the second string and non-starters. Akaashi started being dragged to more and more team outings, and being called out by more of the players if he ever stopped by practice, which made being sneaky a whole lot harder. At one point, some of Bokuto’s teammates even began to joke with the wing spiker that they only put up with him so they could hang out with his boyfriend, which just fired the spiked-haired man up more. The younger brunet would sometimes be invited to play with the team if they were just playing recreationally, and needed another setter, but usually Akaashi would prefer to watch from the sidelines. Sometimes though, he would pipe in with advice for the team on how to deal with Bokuto when he hit a wall or entered his “emo-mode”, although it happened a lot more infrequently than it had in high school. Even though Akaashi definitely missed volleyball, just having this connection was enough for him.

  
Having Bokuto in his life again was far more comforting and familiar than Keiji could have even imagined it would be. Whether it was walking together side-by-side, hand in hand around campus, or cooking dinner together in comfortable silence every night, it made Akaashi feel at home. Even the most menial tasks were made better just by being around the resonating warmth of Bokuto’s presence.

  
Although the pair shared a two-bedroom apartment and each of them had their own separate beds, there was no real reason to stay separated when either queen-sixed bed was more than enough for the two of them.

  
Every night ended the same way, and Akaashi wouldn’t change it for the world. When one of them (Bokuto) was ready for bed, they would retreat to their (Akaashi’s, since it was cleaner) room and cuddle until one of them fell asleep in the other’s arms. Which was always the one who was exhausted from practice each night.

  
While Bokuto was by far the more owllike of the pair, Akaashi was the night owl with insomnia. Bokuto fell asleep hard each night, probably his body’s effort to revive his near-endless supply of energy. Even though it was hard on Akaashi, and specifically his morning classes which he trudged to each morning with a coffee in hand, it was worth it. Seeing how tranquil and soft Bokuto was while he slept was an option Akaashi would choose over every hour of lost sleep.

  
The not-a-night-owl was such a heavy sleeper, but he was also a sleep cuddler. Bokuto rolled and grabbed and nuzzled against the younger man — and every move just made Akaashi fall more and more in love. Just the sight of a tiny line of drool slipping out of the normally grinning mouth and onto the pillow was enough to put butterflies in his stomach. And whenever Bokuto’s still slightly damp and streaked hair billowed all over the place, it left Akaashi’s mouth dry at the sight. There was hardly ever a moment when a love-filled smile was not gracing his pale face.

  
If Akaashi cared more about social media, or didn’t have the self-control to not act upon his gross and steryotypical “honeymoon phase” desires, there would have no doubt been an Instagram account entirely dedicated to Bokuto. But since Akaashi did have strong self-control, the innumerous pictures of sleeping Bokuto, silly selfies and dumb screenshots had their own album that Akaashi could turn to whenever he needed to smile. Or be reminded that he was lucky enough to come home to the wing spiker’s smiling face every day.

  
It didn’t matter to him if the buff boy sometimes crushed him as he rolled over in his sleep, or accidentally (almost) strangled him with the powerful and uncontrolled grips of sleep, because Akaashi knew he had it bad. Or more accurately, he had it so good.

  
Because even on an early pre-dawn morning at 4 a.m. with no sleep, and even after all-nighters of studying for midterms, and still even after Bokuto hogged their tub to soak after a too-long practice… Akaashi Keiji knew he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Here are the promised notes:  
> 1) I was originally going to just say that Bokuto chose a "top Tokyo university with a powerhouse volleyball team" but then I had to go the way of Love Letters (my YOI fic) and find an actual uni for him to go to. Which is really hard since most of the websites don't get listed under english search terms.  
> 2) Apparently there are groups in Japan that recruit Japanese volleyball players and help them get scouted by American universities, so of COURSE Bokuto was scouted.  
> 3) I researched like 10 different universities (#extra), but the ones I narrowed it down to were Keio, Chuo, Juntendo and Tokai.  
> 4) Chuo University (Chu-dai): THE powerhouse volleyball school, but it mostly focuses on STEM and Buisness majors. An American equivalent for Chuo in terms of volleyball is Chuo is to Volleyball as The Patriots are to the NFL, The Yankees are to Baseball, and Alabama is to College Football. (sorry for non-american readers, or american readers who like sports anime but not sports).  
> 5) Juntendo University (Jundai): Has a School of Health and Sports Science for Bokuto, and a School of Nursing and Medicine for Akaashi... Won the All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championship in 2010. However the "schools" were actually held on different campuses almost an hour and a half away from each other by train.  
> 6) Tokai University: basically perfect on paper, but it didn't really catch my eye, and I am basically Bo, so he isn't going there. Has a good School of Physical Education and a good college of Information Sciences (Computer Science) for Akaashi. Won the championship in 2006 and 2008. Basically Bo's safety school. (his reaction was basically my reaction when I toured my safety school)  
> 7) Keio University: I almost picked Tokai, but then I found out Keio University's mascot/nickname was the Unicorns... so it had to happen. It is honestly a stretch (since it, along with Waseda University, is basically a Japanese Ivy League) for Bokuto and Akaashi, but it has a huge array of major options, is one of the oldest schools in Japan, and is a MEXT* university. It also has cool colors (and I can only imagine would have a cool volleyball uniform, which I might draw later) and it's motto is "the pen is mightier than the sword". Plus it is super pretty especially for an urban Tokyo campus. It also gets super sports crazy, and the whole school literally shuts down for important baseball games. The only issue I had was that it hasn't won in volleyball since the 60s? but I already made up my mind.  
> 8) MEXT, or the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has 13 universities that get funding for these areas of study and innovation. It works to increase Japan's influence in these areas on a global level.  
> 9) The Wikipedia page for the All Japan Intercollegiate Volleyball Championships is super out of date and hard to navigate, but it was the most helpful thing I could find. The last updated entry says that Chuo won both '14 and '15, and that they are the reigning champs. So we are going to go with the fact that they won 14, 15, 16.  
> 10) Also for those of you who didn't know (ie: me), the Japanese school year is from April - late July, September - December, with the final term January - March. So I'm just going to say that if this fic is NOW (August), that means Akaashi started in April 2018, and Bo started in April 2017.  
> 11) I looked up "Volleyball Movies" and there aren't a LOT of options, but our animal loving boys HAVE to at least ironically like the "Air Bud" franchise, right?  
> 12) Keio University/Minato, Tokyo is only about 12 km away from downtown Tokyo.  
> 13) This is out of order, but the Japanese HS Volleyball season is set up like this for Tokyo: End April-Early May, Interhigh qualifiers. June, Nationals Qualifiers. Early August, Interhigh. Mid Aug-Mid Sept, Spring High Qualifiers. End Aug, Nationals Qualifiers (finals). End Sept-Early Oct, Nationals. End Nov, Spring High Qualifiers (finals). January, Spring High.  
> 14) It looks like Japanese university entrance exams are held in January, and if students pass the "center test", they are then offered tests to universities to which they applied. And if they pass those, they are granted admission. I think, it was kind of hard to understand, so I mixed in my knowledge of American university applications.  
> 15) I ended up designing a uniform for Keio (and drawing Bo in it), so let me know if I should link it!!  
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading this fic, and thank you to the HVC Discord for dealing with me while I dealt with my writers block on this fic for the last month it’s been sitting in my drafts. Hope you enjoyed!!


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